Viinilehti chose the best white wines of the year.
The jury of Viinilehti has chosen the best white wines from among about 300 wines. Adobe Stock / AOP
Viinilehti’s white wine of the year is a characteristic blend of Viura and Maturana Blanca from Spain, says the release.
Silver went to Riesling from Chile, and bronze went to fruity Portuguese.
1. Nivarius Edición Limitada 2019, Spain (€25.98)
Jury’s assessment:
– A very multi-dimensional and elegantly developed aroma with nutty, ripe apple, toastiness, refined oak and sweet spiciness from barrel aging. The dry, richly fruity and quite strong taste echoes the aromas of the fragrance.
The wine has a lot of fruitiness, which is balanced by spiciness and rich citrus acidity. The wine, which is quite snappy in the mouth, leaves a long-tasting, toasty and warm aftertaste with hints of peanut and, excitingly, even marzipan.
Food recommendation: Rich red meat fish dishes and light meat with a clear taste.
Price-quality: Good buy, more than worth the price
2. Cono Sur Single Vineyard Block 23 Riesling Organic 2022, Chile (€15.48)
3. Esporão Reserva Branco 2022, Portugal (€21.49)
The jury’s comment about the competition:
– Almost half of the wines entered in this year’s competition were made from Riesling, the second most popular variety was Sauvignon Blanc. All finalists were of high quality and harmony. In choosing the final top three, the authenticity, traceability and exceptional deliciousness of the wines were emphasized.
– The white wine of the year is the very harmonious and characterful Nivarius Edición Limitada from 2019 from Rioja, Spain. The producer focuses exceptionally on white wines in the classic red wine region. The main variety of the wine (70%), Viura, is matured on the house’s 80-year-old vines at an altitude of 400–500 meters. Another variety used in the wine is the nearly extinct Maturana Blanca. Nine months of aging in large oak vats has brought a subtle oak note to the wine.
This is how the selection was made:
For selection of Viinilehti’s white wine of the year Juha Berglund and Antti Rinta-Huumo blindly tasted about 300 white wines from the standard and order selection, which the importers had entered for the competition.
The bottle size was limited to 0.75 liters and the upper limit of the bottle price to around 30 euros.
The wines were tasted and evaluated blindly in several pre-qualification tastings, which were also attended Pia Nisén and Tomi Salonen. Nisén also participated in the blind tasting of the 27 wines of the final competition.